Apple HomePod setup may require iPhone or iPad, allow multi-speaker sync

Even if it supports other Apple devices, people buying a HomePod will allegedly need an iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch to complete initial setup.

Users will have to pair with a HomePod in a process similar to AirPods, according to iHelp BR, which examined code in the latest iOS 11 beta. It's believed that the speaker's Siri assistant may read out a four-digit authentication code.

People may also need the last four digits of their HomePod or iOS device's serial number, presumably in case of earlier failed setup attempts. Two-factor authentication and iCloud Keychain could be required to complete some steps in the pairing process, and indeed people will have to be on a WPA or WPA2 Wi-Fi network for setup to work in the first place.

Signing in with an Apple ID will sync a HomePod with iCloud and Apple Music. Configuration options should include setting a gender and accent for Siri, choosing manual or automatic updates through a nearby iOS device, and whether or not to send diagnostic data to Apple on a daily basis.

For people wealthy enough to afford multiple HomePods, there will reportedly be options to update and change settings across several devices at once.

A bit later after the original reveal, iOS developer Guilherme Rambo posted a video of what the setup process may look like.

This is how the HomePod setup will look like on an iPhone. pic.twitter.com/SARqsYslL6
— Guilherme Rambo (@_inside) August 22, 2017

Announced at June's Worldwide Developers Conference, the HomePod is due to ship in December for $349. That will make it far more expensive that rival smartspeakers by Amazon and Google, but Apple is placing an emphasis on higher-quality sound, as well as the ability to function as a HomeKit hub.

10 Comments

dougd 292 comments · 12 Years

About 7 years ago

More more useless tech trivia

RacerhomieX 95 comments · 7 Years

sog35 said:

so exciting.

Probably buying 2 of these for the living room.

Maybe 2 more for 2 other bedrooms.

If these sound as good as advertised, $350 is a STEAL

I say, first test them out first ,then buy second one.

macgui 2457 comments · 17 Years

For people wealthy enough to afford multiple HomePods, there will reportedly be options to update and change settings across several devices at once.
I hope this means playing the same music or listening to the same media on HomePods throughout the house, and changing the playback for all of them, if desired, from any of them.
I'm really looking forward to HP. I'll get two for two different rooms. But I'll try two none room to see how that sounds.
Jobs said he replaced his high-end audio gear after getting the HiFi. While it may have sounded as good or the same to him, it did not sound as good as any high-end gear I've ever heard. But managing expectations, it sounded pretty good.
I don't expect the HP to have audiophile level sound, but I expect that it will sound more than good enough for music listening and it'll have constant access to Siri. I don't use my Echo Dot much but I'm impressed at how well it hears me. It just doesn't work well for me.